Post #187918 by Urban Tiki on Wed, Sep 21, 2005 9:43 AM

I did a search before posting about the perfect martini and this is one of two threads that came up. Like tiki, martinis are very near and dear to my heart so I wanted to discuss them with other aficionados and share my experience. I've been drinking them for 31 years- since I was 16 (I think Jab would be proud). The drinking age was 18 back then, so it wasn't that hard to get. A group of us would gather in the woods on weekend nights to party. While everyone else was chugging beers or Boone's Farm apple wine, I was sipping 'tinis. I would bring gin (cheap stuff back then, but well to my liking), vermouth (probably added too much), and even a jar of olives (I no longer like olives in my martini). We had a plastic shaker at home that my mom used to mix gravys in that actually came witha powdered shake making product called "Great Shakes" that they had stopped selling years before this time, and this is what I would use to make the martinis in. I can barely remember my name these days, but I can still picture that shaker in my mind (kind of scary).

I am in agreement with those that state a gin martini is the real thing, but I think that vodka martinis have gained enough acceptance that they can share the moniker (after all, that's what 007 drank). As far as all those chocolate and fruit flavored posers- the martini title is a joke, but it's not worth getting my panties all in a bunch over- if you like 'em, drink 'em; what's in a name? By the way, I also love Martikis made with white Rhum Barbancourt- it's always tough for me to decide which one to make.

My idea of a perfect martini (for me) made with Bombay Sapphire (although I sometimes try other premium brands for a change of pace- Kendricks, a Scottish gin made with cucumber and rose petals is an interesting change of pace). I like to use a chilled glass, but if I don't have one, I'll fill a glass with ice and sparkling water (the bubbles help to cool it faster). I put ice (never crushed ice) into the shaker drip a little vermouth (Noilly Pratt preferred) into the shaker, swirl it around and dump it out. Place new ice into the shaker, add the gin and shake lightly. I like to have a few really small slivers of ice in my drink. As I said before I used to garnish with olives, but I now think the taste of olive clashes with the botanicals of Sapphire (I love the taste of olives from a martini, but not the taste of the martini with the olives. Go figure).

One of the things that I find most annoying is the fact that most bartenders do not properly know how to make a lemon twist for a martini. They usually cut into the skin down to the fruit and peel of the skin with a thick layer of the white part, which is too bitter. The correct way (IMHO) is to peel it lightly with a knife like peeling a potato and get a very thin peel with very little white part (almost impossible to get none of it). For a change of pace, or if I am out of lemons (rare), I will use orange bitters instead (I keep a good supply on hand for making Martikis).

I had read somewhere that originally, martinis were made with Plymouth gin and orange bitters, and this is what Churchill drank. I make these on occasion for a change of pace. Churchill reportedly liked his martinis very dry and would not add vermouth, but would bow towards France before drinking.

Any more martini talk?